MIDLAND, TEXAS - To bring new workers into the oil and gas industry, something’s got to give.

Not only does the oil industry have a bad reputation in some corners, but other industries have been more effective at attracting younger talent, Molly Determan, president of the Energy Workforce & Technology Council, said at Hart Energy’s Nov. 15 Executive Oil Conference & Exhibition 2023.

Addressing that oil and gas industry’s besmirched public relations image — and becoming better at selling the industry — are necessary to draw in the talented workers needed to help keep the oil and gas industry running, she said.

“The most significant workforce battle that we face each and every day is how our industry is perceived. We're in a PR war with not only environmental advocates, but the general public's often misguided perceptions of the industry,” she said. “The reality is we are the ones leading the charge to the lower carbon future, producing energy more, efficiently every single day. So how do we go about changing hearts and minds about our industry?”

Determan noted it’s important to realize that workplace priorities generally vary by generation.

Younger people, she said, “are more inclined to reject job opportunities with a company that doesn't align with their values on things like climate, flexible work policies, transparency.”

She said energy organizations unable to tailor themselves to that generation face an uphill battle when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.

Successfully navigating an increasingly competitive employment market requires considering what motivates different employee segments and how to engage them best. That might mean “meeting them where they’re at” rather than invalidating the views of different generations or demographics of workers, she said.

Sometimes, she said, even the money the industry is offering is enough.

“People have been willing to take salary cuts to go sit in the warehouse and have a guaranteed schedule,” or guaranteed days off or guaranteed weekends, Determan said. 

Companies are looking into the possibility that moving from two 12-hour shifts per day to three eight-hour shifts might cost a little more but ultimately reduce turnover rates, she said.

While identifying ways for personnel to grow professionally is also important, that’s only part of the equation, she said. Transparency about those opportunities is important as well, she said.

But it’s also necessary to make clear what kind of opportunities the oil and gas industry creates for those who enter it, she said.

“This industry opens doors like no other industry,” Determan said.

Not only does it allow those in the industry to make an impact, but can also open up possibilities to travel the world, she said. And the industry is full of  “fascinating” technological advancements.

At the same time, the oil and gas industry is “competing with Big Tech for talent,” she said.

“To compete, we have to match the workforce's desires, but present ourselves as an industry innovating and empowering the local economy,” she said.

Digital and automation tech  helped make a big difference in the industry, she noted.

“We all know automation helps remove a level of human error,” she said. “This isn’t your grandpa’s oil field. We know that.”

But the real task is to help the people outside the industry understand that, she said.

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